As winter settles over Geneva, there’s magic to be found on the rooftop of the Four Seasons Hotel Geneva—a little slice of Japan floating above the city, warmed by lantern glow and flickering culinary flames. Up here, under the canopy of twinkling fairy lights and with the lake and snow-capped mountains sprawling majestically into the distance, the world feels like a scene from a fairy tale. Only this time comes with a side of hand-rolled sushi and Japanese simmering broths.
The genius behind this ephemeral dining experience? Executive Chef Toshikazu Kato, the maestro already adored for his masterful work at the hotel’s acclaimed Izumi restaurant. With this December-only Shabu Shabu pop-up, Chef Kato takes Geneva’s dining scene on a journey—part Swiss fondue charm, part Japanese culinary artistry. Think rustic alpine warmth but reimagined through the refined lens of Japan’s Kantō region.
In a setting of softly lit wood and elegant minimalism, tables come alive with bubbling pots of Shabu shabu, a Japanese fondue-style dish that’s equal parts theatre and indulgence. Diners swish tender cuts of Wagyu beef, seafood, and garden-fresh vegetables through the velvety broth—each dip a fleeting, exquisite moment of flavour. Complementing the experience is a selection of pristine sushi, an Omakase menu that reads like poetry for the palate: meticulously crafted, inherently seasonal, and delightfully sustainable.
Shabu-Shabu © FS Geneva
If the Shabu shabu pop-up is a celebration of refined simplicity, the New Year’s Eve dinner at Izumi is unabashed decadence. Here, Chef Kato has composed a six-course tasting menu that would make even the most seasoned epicurean swoon. Highlights? Chutoro Tartare that melts like silk, Foie Gras Chawanmushi that dances on the tongue, and Char-Grilled Wagyu that arrives sizzling with all the promises of indulgence.It’s festive dining at its most enchanting: panoramic views of Geneva’s sparkling skyline, glasses clinking as friends and family toast to new beginnings, and every plate more captivating than the last.
Whether it’s gathering around a steaming Japanese pot, indulging in authentic sushi, or raising a glass high above Geneva’s rooftops, up there under the stars, winter simply tastes sweeter.
